The Oregon Symphony has been without a president since June, when William A. Ryberg stepped down to become general director of the Palm Beach Opera. Board member Gerald R. Hulsman has been serving as interim president.
In a statement, Calder wrote, "I have spent five very happy years working with the musicians, staff and board of the Edmonton Symphony and we have accomplished an extraordinary amount together. Now that our accumulated deficit has been eliminated and we have a strong music director in William Eddins, we are starting to explore the many possibilities for the future development of this wonderful orchestra."
The Oregon Symphony has had a rocky ride recently: staff cuts in August, a deficit of almost $1 million, contract negotiations and the imminent departure of concertmaster Amy Moretti Schwartz.
Calder's arts administration experience includes senior posts at the Shaw Festival in Ontario, the Canadian Opera Company and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Before moving to Edmonton in 2001, she managed the Hartford Stage theater company in Connecticut for two years.
